Spring bung



H. H. GR'AHAM SPRING BUNG Filed Nov. 8, 1920 Mar. 13,'4 1923,

Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

UNITED STATES Partnr ortica.

HENRY H. GRAHAM, OIEl DANV'ILLE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ALLITPI-PROUTYCOM- PANY, 0F DANVILLE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

SPRING Brine Application filed November 8, 1920. Serial No. 422,446.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Danville, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a. Spring Bung, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of melting and heating furnacesand is especially adaptable to roof construction for these types offurnaces.

My invention is exemplified in the present instance as applied to bungsfor forming roofs of malleable iron melting furnaces and the like.

An object of my invention is to improved means of supporting refractorybricks or material in furnace bungs for successful commercial' use.

Ano-ther object is to provide a furnace roof co-nstructed of metal andrefractory materials in such manner that the refractory materials may beretained under yielding pressure with respect to the metal to compensatefor the differences in the rates of expansion and contraction of thematerials and at the same time adapted to permit rapid application andremoval of the refractory material with respect to the metal.

A further object is the provision of means for yieldingly supportingrefractory bricks and the like in furnace bungs whereby'readyapplication and removal of the bricks may beaccomplished withoutdesplacement, loss or remo-val of any of the brick supporting elements.n

The present practice of supporting refractory bricks in furnace bungs isobjectionable in that the expansion and contraction of the bricks mustbe watched carefully by a furnace attendant and any contractioncompensated for by the attendant tightening the screws o-n the ends ofthe bungs. This manner of tightening the screws is objectionable, first,because the actual work is undesirable on account of the heat, andsecond, because it is ver, difiicult'to determine definitely how muc orhow little the adjusting screw should be tightenedto obtain the desiredresult.

Generally speaking, I carry out my invention by mounting at leach end ofa bung bung of well-known type provided with va-v rious novel featuresembodying my invention; and

Figure 2 is an elevation of the bungv ofy Figure 1.

The bung shown in the drawings 'is made of an inverted T-shaped castinghaving the usual fiat lower portion 5 which is curved in elevation tocorrespond to the desired Vcurvature ofthey roof of the furnace and wideenough'to serve asma support for the refractory bricks 6. A flange orweb 7 extends upwardly centrally of the portion 5. Heads 8 are pivotedby meansyof lateral extensions 8 at points intermediatetheir ends at 9to the web 7 of the bung. The heads 8 comprise lower portions 8a whichextend laterally and engage the endmost brick in the bung, while theupperportions 8" of the heads are operatively associated Vwith coilsprings 10,. l The springs 1.0 are mounted on separated end membersseats or bosses 11 and 12, which are relatively movable, the member 11being pivoted lat 13 to a projection 14 of the web 7 of the bung. Eachof the members 11 and 12 has a central lug 15 directed towards eachother and adapted to extend into the interior of the spring for thepurpose of centering the same, and for preventing displacement thereofwhen not under compression. The member 12 is pivoted on the bolt orother pivot pin 9 and is engaged on its outer face bythe end of anadjusting screw 16 which has a head 17 for engagement by a wrench orothertool, thev screw 16 being threaded into the upper end 8" of thehead 8. For mounting the bolt 16 in the head 8 a nut is provided in. asuitable recess in the end 8b of the head. The bolt is then passedthrough this nut so that when turned by a Asuitable tool applied tothehead 17 of the bolt thehead 8 may be rocked about its pivot 9 for thepurpose of varying the spring' pressure on the bricks G in the bung'.For l providing means to lift and move the bung the webis provided witha series of openings 18 to which a clevice vor',l other member 19 may beattached by bolts' 20 so that a crane or othery lifting mechanism may beattached for moving the bung.

The operation of the device is as follows: The refractorybricks G havingbeen in'- serted in croslswise position, as shown in the dra/wings andin a manner well known, the heads l8 are caused to engage the endmostbricks in the bung, the lower ends Sabearing against theese bricks. Aplate o'r other protector 21 may be interposed if desired be* tween theheads and the bricks to prevent the latterbeingdamaged by reason of theContact therewith of the heads 8. After the bricks arein position theadjusting screws 16 are turned so that the tension of the springs 10`will'be such as to permit movement of. the heads 8 as the brickscontract and expand and at the same time not so great as to break any ofthe bricks nor lto permit' buckling under' excessive expansion. I havefound that a bung constructed in accordance with my invention will lastm'u'ch longer than a bung constructed in accordance with the .presentpractice, that is, where the heads are kept in contact with the bricksby. means of adjusting screws turned from time to time by a furnaceattendant. My` experience has been that with the present 'bungs manybricks are lost be fore' they have served their usefulness in roofconstruction by reason of the fact that the furnace attendant was laX inadjusting the screws to correspond to thecontraction or epansion of therefractory bricks.

It will be observe'dthat my invention is automatic in operation, theadjusting screw 16'once' havingbeen manipulated to properly tension the"spring 10. In removing `the old'bricls and ap'plyingxne'w bricks to thebung anyI means may be employed to 4move the heads 8 about their pivots9 so'that the bricks' may bee'asily applied to the bungs.`

I have shown a bung as constructed of c'a'st` metal. However, I do notwish to be limited'thereto,'as a furnace bungmay be made'of commercialshapes of metals such as'Ilbealms' or T-bars or other shapes bent tecorrespond with the curvature ofthe fur! nace roof.'h In the event bungsare made of commercial shapes the heads of my invention may be securedtheretoin a manner similar to' that shown'A in the drawings.

Vthile' I' have described more or less preciselyv4 the details ofvconstruction of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as i/iaaoeolimiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form and proportionof parts and thecsubstitution of equivalents as circumstancesma'ysuggest or render expedlent, without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

1. A bung con'structintfor furnace roofs including in combination, headspivoted at each end of the bung, said heads being spaced froml the bungends by lateral eX- tensions which are pivotally connected to the bung,an inner spring seat pivotedto the bung, and an outer spring seat havinga double vpivotal connectio'n'with the bung at the head pivotalconnection, a springsupported between said seats, and a bolt thread edinto' the head for4 co-operation with the outer spring seat` for varying.the effectiveness of said spring and transmitting lthe salme to thehead" .for coloperating with bricksfsupportedv therein.

Q. A spring lever construction for retaining bricks in bungs and thelikeincluding in combination; heads pivoted intermediate their ends tosaid bung, theY lower ends of the heads adapted to receivegand retainrefractory material between them, a pair of spaced bosses supported onthe bung at each end thereof, a spring retained by, and between thebosses of each pair', and a bolt threaded into the upper end of. a headadapted to bear `against one of the bosses whereby the resiliency ofsaid spring may be imparted to .saidbricksthrough said head and'variedaccording to the position of said bolt 4within said head.

3. In a device of the class described including `in combination, a; bungformed of metal having a flange.. and a' web,'heads pivotedrto the webat the ends ofthe bung by projections whereby said heads may bemaintained in spaced relation to the ends of the bung, spring bossespivoted to the web near the ends of the same, each boss having acentrally disposed lugthereon, lthe lugs of the' bossesat each end ofythe bungY being arranged in pairs with thevlugs of each pair extendingtowards each' other' for receiving and retaining a coiled springthereon, and a bolt passingthrougha head for coi-operationwith one ofsaid bosses for varying the veffectiveness `vof the springwith respectto refractory materials retained in the bung. v

4. In a furnace roof construction, the combination of a metallicbung,'heads connected' at intermediate p'int their lengthvin a'pivotal'manner' to the bungand having the lojwerlp'ortions thereof'arranged to receiveand hold refractory material between them, abolt;pass'ingthrough the u'pper end o`f a head; anda'sprin'g'co'foperating with said bolt for pressing the lower ends of theheads against the bricks, said spring being supported at each end bysep-` arated pivoted Seats7 the seat farther from the head being pivotedto a portion of the bung Web and the seat nearer the head being pivotedto the vbung atthe pivotal connection of the head, each of said seatshaving lugs on the active Surfaces thereof for projecting into the endsof the spring `for preventing displacement of the same with respect tosaid seats. 10 Signed at Danville, Illinois, this 30th day of October,1920.

HENRY H.-GRAHAM.

